(TALLAHASSEE, FL.) -- Tallahassee will feature two elections on the November ballot: a mayoral race, and City Commission Seat 3.
Just like the mayor, the newly elected city commissioner will be entitled to one vote and will participate in monthly commission meetings.
The race for seat 3 is crowded, with Tom Derzypolski, Talethia Edwards, Maxwell Herrle, Darryl Alfred Jr, PJ Perez, and Norm Roche officially announcing their campaign.
Opgov.news will be constantly updating throughout the election cycle and attempting to interview candidates ahead of the upcoming ballot.
Recently, opgov was able to interview Norm Roche, a former Pinellas County Commissioner from 2010 to 2014.
Photo Credit: from https://norm4tccs3.com/
As the only candidate for Seat 3 with experience as an elected official, Norm believes his experience will be a difference maker on the city commission.
The former county commissioner noted the tense relations among the current commissioners and believes his experience can help the board become non-partisan again, a large part of his campaign.
“Non-Partisan For a Non-Partisan Seat” is written in blue on the top of Roche’s about section, a value he believes imperative for the commissioners to return to.
In 2018, Florida Governor Rick Scott suspended Scott Maddox, which came a year after former city manager Rick Fernandez resigned. Roche contacted the Mayor in 2018 to fill the vacant seat by Maddox, who had since been sentenced to five years in federal prison for accepting bribes.
With the 2018 atmosphere, Roche had elaborated the importance of appointing a commissioner who was willing to step away and allow for an open race.
Norm recalls the Mayor wanting continuity with the commissioners going forward.
“I warned him — I said, if you do that, that person's going to lose re-election.”
The commissioners received 93 applications and unanimously selected Elaine Bryant to conclude Maddox's term for Seat 1. Roberts ran in 2020, where current Seat 1 Commissioner Jacqueline Porter won the race.
Tallahassee is also in need of a new city manager, a position the commissioners vote for.
The commissioners are split on how, or rather when, to conduct a search. At a recent city commissioners meeting, the commission voted to allow S. Renée Narloch & Associates to begin the search for a new manager.
“The current commission is certainly capable and has the experience to choose a replacement for Reese. I think he's been a good city manager. He's handled a lot of tough things, from the whole Maddox situation to COVID, and everything in between. He's done a fine job. My concern is whether the temperament of this commission is there to truly collaborate and come together on a decision they could all agree on.”
Roche had made the statement prior to the May 13 commissioners meeting, which quickly became tense around the discussion of a new city manager.
The commissioners are likely to select a new city manager before the new mayor and Seat 3 winner take office, as they move through several months with public hearings.
“But you're going to start off with a city manager who got a 3-2 vote, meaning two people are apparently not happy with the selection right from day one.”
Roche declined to comment on whether the commissioners should wait for the newly elected officials, but stated the importance of a unanimous vote.
The city commissioners have been tense recently, with Mayor John Dailey stating a commissioner was responsible for a “toxic workplace”.
During the interview, Roche had discussed some of the issues the commissioners had that catered to a lackluster environment.
Most notably, Roche mentioned a commissioner endorsing a candidate running against a fellow active commissioner. Roche described it as an ‘unwritten rule’ from when he was a county commissioner, and felt it led to more turbulence.
Roche detailed how the commissioner's job is to discuss solutions for city problems, and turbulent relationships can jeopardize productive discussions. He believes his experience is as valuable as ever as the commissioners look to be more civil and amicable going forward.
The city of Tallahassee will hold a test vote to consolidate its government in November. Even if the vote passes, the governor and state legislature would have to approve the change. While Roche does not believe Tallahassee will see consolidation any time soon, he does hope to bridge the gap between the county and city commissions.
The city and county commissioners disagree on several overlapping issues, such as the fire fee lawsuit, which will go to a private judge, as well as an ordinance the county proposed to supersede city legislation. Roche hopes to have experience on both commissions and help the two collaborate rather than change the structure of government.
Outside of the commission, Roche discussed what he wanted the city to look like in the future.
“We're the capital city of the State of Florida, we don't have pristine beaches, we don't have a major amusement park, but we are well-positioned to grow. We just need to do it intelligently.”
While Tallahassee will never have a downtown beach, Roche wants the city to use its resources to propel growth. He believes the growth can translate to an improved public transportation system, which he believes starts with Tallahassee’s international airport.
“Do we want to zone the airport corridor to create employment centers? Light industry? Whatever industries we're looking for? And if we add employment centers out there, we can redesign our bus system to actually be usable. You can't just say "use public transit", you have to have a transit system that works”.
Economic growth is one of Roche’s top priorities, as he hopes to oversee a transition to a more prosperous Tallahassee.
“We're losing focus on what we should be doing, which is providing opportunity. No high school student is sitting in class thinking, ‘I can't wait to graduate and go on government assistance.’”
The importance of retaining local graduates was not lost on Roche, naming it as one of his priorities. Norm had created high hopes for Tallahassee and plans to make it a reality as a commissioner.
If you want to stay updated on local candidates, be sure to like and comment, and reach out to jason.f@lead4earth.org for updates and clarifications.
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